Among those in attendance were Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton, both of whom spoke about Ford.

They said it was a great tribute to Ford. It was solemn, but there was also laughter. They said Ford would have approved.

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"I loved it when Joe Biden said he was going on too long and Wendell would have been telling him to wrap it up because I've been with Wendell Ford a lot of times. I've given speeches, and he'd be over by my hip going, 'OK, wrap it up, wrap it up,'" said Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway.

Conway was among the hundreds of family, friends and dignitaries who attended Ford's funeral in his hometown of Owensboro.

They recalled Ford's humor, his energy and his passion for helping others.

"He loved people. He fought for them. He fought for the people who didn't have a voice and that was really brought out today in the service. I thought the service was a grand service. It was a celebration of a good life," said Democratic Rep. Jody Richards of Bowling Green.

Biden served with Ford in the U.S. Senate.

"They don't make men like Wendell much anymore," Biden said.

Ford held the powerful majority whip position during part of Clinton's presidency.

They said it was Ford's ability to build bridges that helped them pass the Violence Against Women Act, the largest crime bill in U.S. history, and Clinton's first budget.

"Here you have the former president, the current vice president, possibly a presidential aspirant himself and then next door neighbors. So, if there was ever a blend of the people whom Wendell loved and served, served with great vigor and with great effectiveness, this was the kind of gathering," said former U.S. Rep. Ron Mazzoli.

Through it all, Ford never lost sight of his humble farm upbringing.

There were stories about Ford personally calling and writing constituents.

His family was also recognized for their sacrifice, as Ford spent many of days away in Frankfort or Washington, D.C.

"And then the little great-grandson. They said that was granddaddy's casket. He said, 'No, that's a treasure chest.' I mean that was more poignant words were never spoken," Conway said.

Ford's political career spanned four decades.

He first served as state senator in 1965.

In 1967, he became Kentucky's 45th lieutenant governor.

In 1971, Ford was elected as the state's 53rd governor.

He only served three years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974.

Ford spent 24 years representing the commonwealth in Congress until he retired from public service in 1999.